The present invention relates generally to oral hygiene aids. More particularly the invention relates to a new type of flexible, polishing dental floss/tape that can actively remove plaque and discolouring between teeth, which is easy to use and is gentle to the gingival tissues.
Brushing the teeth is in itself not synonymous with cleaning the teeth and preventing caries/parodontitis. A toothbrush is only able to remove plaque on substantially facial and oral surfaces of the teeth. It has thus been shown that only approximately 60% of all tooth surfaces can be cleaned using a toothbrush and toothpaste. Since toothbrushes have poor interdental cleaning effect where parodontitis and caries often occur, various preventive aids exist for interdental cleaning, e.g. small xe2x80x9cinterdental bottlebrushesxe2x80x9d, dental sticks and dental floss/tape. All these preventive aids in principle lack any polishing effect such as that obtained by cleaning the teeth with toothpaste and toothbrush. A thoroughly efficient cleaning, including a certain polishing of the surface of the teeth on the 40% of the surface of the teeth out of reach of toothbrush and toothpaste is therefore difficult to perform. Cleaning the interdental spaces prior to brushing with a toothpaste containing fluorine is generally recommended, since the fluorine in the toothpaste is then better able to penetrate into the surface of the enamel interdentally also. Cleaning interdentally after brushing the teeth with fluorinated toothpaste would also deteriorate the effect of the fluorine since the time factor during which the fluoride ions remain on the teeth is extremely important for absorption of the fluorine into the enamel.
Dental floss/tape is preferably used in small/narrow interdental spaces with large gingival pockets where brushes, and often even dental sticks, are difficult to use due to lack of space.
Conventional dental floss/tape has a number of drawbacks both with regard to material and also to use. To enable its penetration of hard contact points between teeth, dental floss is made narrow and strong, and/or it is waxed so that it slides more easily through the contact point. Various sizes are available; narrow known as xe2x80x9cdental flossxe2x80x9d and wide known as xe2x80x9cdental tapexe2x80x9d. Dental tape is able to clean a larger surface than dental floss. Dental floss has poor cleaning effect in large interdental spaces. Dental tape is always waxed, whereas dental floss may be waxed or unwaxed.
Investigations have shown that wax on dental floss or tape may adhere to the surface of the teeth. The wax may even prevent subsequent absorption in the dental surface of fluorine from the toothpaste. Dental floss without wax is therefore recommended to individuals with active caries. However, unwaxed floss does not slide as easily between the contact point and may therefore damage the gingival tissue if used too energetically. Several investigations have shown that fluoridated dental floss is the most efficient way of supplying fluorine at the contact points between the teeth, where caries most frequently occurs. It is considerably more efficient than only toothbrush and toothpaste and/or rinsing the mouth with NaF solution.
Since dental floss has no elasticity it may damage the gingival tissue and gingival pocket if used too hard and incorrectly, particular at hard contact points, which may be painful and cause bleeding. Multifilament floss, which often becomes saturated with bacteria when used, both on the surface and inside the floss around all the filaments, may even cause gingival inflammation by carrying bacteria into an injured gingival pocket. This is an important reason for many people tiring of using dental floss.
Conventional dental floss consists of myriad thin filaments twisted together. The floss often splits and remnants may fasten in the contact point.
When using conventional floss/tape without a dental floss holder, it may cut into the fingers in an unpleasant manner.
When cleaning interdental spaces with conventional floss, each tooth surface, distal and mesial, on the two teeth to be cleaned, must be cleaned individually which is a relatively complicated and time-consuming procedure. A bottlebrush is simpler to use since this cleans both surfaces simultaneously. The cleaning effect with dental floss, dental sticks and bottlebrushes is purely mechanical. No polishing effect or mild grinding effect, and thus the ability to remove not only plaque but also discoloration that smokers and tea drinkers suffer from interdentally, is thus available with the use of conventional dental floss, approximal brushes or dental sticks.
Through EP 0 662 388 it is already known to use polyethylene with high tensile strength for dental floss, Amongst other things, this patent specification shows a method of obtaining long products of thermoplastic. The specification also shows dental floss to be known that comprises a uniform filament of polyethylene having a molecular weight in the range of 300,000-6,000,000, a module of elasticity (Young""s modulus) in the range of 0.5-10 GPa and a rupture point in the range of 0.1-1.2 GPa. Dental tape with these material properties is also known having a width in the range 0.01-0.25 inch (0.25-6.35 mm) and a thickness in the range 0.001-0.005 inch (0.025-0.13 mm).
This floss/tape is fully extended to just before its rupture point at the production stage, which means that it is uncomfortable to hold and is also inelastic in its longitudinal direction, as well as its cross-sectional area being determined immediately after the production stage. This floss/tape also lacks polishing agent and is therefore unable to remove discoloration between the teeth caused by tea, chewing tobacco, snuff or tobacco smoke.
EP 0 335 466 refers to a dental floss having many filaments. Bacteria can penetrate into the actual floss in a multifilament floss. This makes it difficult to rinse away plaque and bacteria from the surface or interior of the floss in a simple manner under the tap while standing over the basin to clean the teeth. This can be noticed because floss made of many thin filaments smells unpleasant after being used for a while in an unclean mouth, even if attempts are made to rinse it under the tap. A new length of floss must therefore usually be taken. What is unique about this floss is combining filaments of expanded Teflon with a micro-crystalline wax, the main purpose of which is to reduce the friction coefficient. This floss is also thin and thus uncomfortable to hold, as well as being inelastic, which means that its cross-sectional area is determined immediately after the production stage. Nothing is stated in the claims of this patent concerning the addition of a polishing abrasive agent. Instead, the low friction coefficient of the floss due to the Teflon//wax content is emphasised. It must be supposed that the polishing effect from dental floss treated with Teflon and having low friction coefficient is negligible.
The object of our invention is to provide a completely new dental floss/tape having material properties allowing it to be dimensioned before use to fit different types of interdental spaces by means of a stretching procedure. Another object is that the material properties are such that the dental floss/tape is hardened by means of the stretching procedure. Another object is to provide a dental floss/tape that has different friction coefficients in stretched and unstretched state. In stretched state the floss/tape is very thin and has a low friction coefficient allowing it to easily penetrate contact points between the teeth. The considerably less stretched part of the floss/tape gives a high friction coefficient by having been mixed with a polishing abrasive such as silica or aluminium oxide. Since in unstretched state the floss/tape is given a high friction coefficient it can efficiently remove not only plaque but also discoloration between the teeth. Yet another object is to provide dental floss/tape having low friction coefficient but which is not provided with a surface coating of wax, for instance.
The object of the invention is fulfilled by means of the present invention as defined in the characterizing parts of the claims, and all the drawbacks mentioned above are eliminated.
Amongst other things, the idea of our dental floss/tape is to sell floss/tape in unstretched state, i.e. to leave adjustment of the floss/tape by means of stretching, to the consumer. The floss/tape shall be easy and pleasant to hold, without cutting into the fingers causing the tips of the fingers to become blue from congestion of blood. Stretching can thus regulate the thickness of the floss/tape in relation to the contact point to be penetrated and the interdental space to be cleaned. It is also important to point out that our floss/tape is elastic and that since, through the addition of polishing powder, it is not stretched along its whole length during use, the surface is slightly abrasive so that plaque (dental deposits) can easily adhere to it and it also has a mildly polishing effect. The surface of our floss/tape can easily be rinsed with warm or cold water during use to avoid carrying odorous. pathogenic bacteria from one interdental space where the gingival pockets are infected with gingivitis or parodontitis, to a healthy interdental space. Our floss/tape can even be rinsed and used for several days if so desired.
The material in the floss/tape is a polymer material, preferably from the polyether block amide (PEBA) group of materials. e.g. a material marketed under the trademark PEBAX(copyright), or material with similar properties.
Our floss/tape shall preferably have an abrasive mixed into it in order to remove discoloration between the teeth. The quantity of abrasive and its abrasivity/polishing effect shall be determined by means of RDA tests or the equivalent. RDA testing is an extremely accurate method of measuring the abrasive effect of a toothpaste, for instance. Further information concerning RDA (Radioactive Dentine Abrasivity) can be found in the literature. It will be understood that, for the consumer, it may be an advantage to see how high the abrasive effect of the floss/tape is in comparison with toothpaste, for instance. Normal, low-abrasive toothpaste is between 30 and 40. One version of our floss/tape intended for people with troublesome dental deposits and/or for use on patients by dental staff shall have a RDA effect of at least 50. Floss/tape variants with built-in abrasive in accordance with the invention, are thus RDA-determined with regard to abrasivity.
The most important variant of floss/tape within the scope of our invention is floss/tape with a combination of fluorine and silica (an abrasive) built into the floss/tape similarly to toothpastes containing these substances.
Since the material in the floss/tape is tough, the stretched part slides easily through the contact point between the teeth, does not damage the gingival tissue, does not shred, can be adjusted as to thickness and can very efficiently remove plaque in its unstretched part, with a polishing effect similar to that of toothpaste plus toothbrush, a new type of floss/tape is obtained with a polishing effect that is more efficient and simpler to use than conventional floss/tape. The material is non-toxic. without problems from the environmental aspect, and inexpensive to manufacture.